The famous Titanic was one of the biggest and most luxurious ships the world has ever seen. Ever since the wreck’s discovery in 1985, the Titanic is arguably the most recognizable artifact to explore. But is it still possible to visit the Titanic today?
Since the discovery of the Titanic’s wreck in 1985, several expeditions have been organized to visit and monitor the wreck’s condition. Access to the wreck is restricted to scientists and specialists, but wealthy tourists have been allowed to join expeditions, as their payment for this privilege helps to finance the expeditions.
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Can You Explore The Titanic Shipwreck?
Different dive companies, such as Deep Ocean and Ocean Gate, have organized commercial diving expeditions alongside scientific ones to the Titanic shipwreck. The first tourists to join an expedition visited the now 110-year-old iconic wreck in 1998, costing them tens of thousands of dollars.
An expedition to the Titanic remains an exclusive experience, especially if you are going as a tourist. Most expeditions nowadays include archaeologists and marine biologists, and even those are not frequent. Companies like Deep Ocean have not organized commercial expeditions to the Titanic since 2012, which cost $60,000.
Unfortunately, though it is not a public site, there have been some undocumented and unlicensed dives of the titanic since the wreck’s discovery. Some expeditions were organized with the aim of looting some of the ship’s artifacts. Efforts have since then been made to give the wreck better protection.
Are There Still Expeditions To The Titanic Today?
In 2021, OceanGate organized joint commercial and scientific expeditions to the Titanic. Packages for this submersible experience were sold for $125 000. OceanGate brings about forty wealthy tourists along for the expeditions. Tourists receive training such as using sonar equipment and performing other tasks in exploration submarines.
Applicants had to file the necessary forms to apply to be part of the lucky few. This was followed by an interview by OceanGate, which, if successful, allowed the applicant to become a member of the expedition, provided they paid the expensive fee and completed the training.
These 2021 Expeditions were organized to pay respect and tribute to the lives lost on the Titanic. And, because these expeditions proved successful, OceanGate stated that these expeditions would continue annually to monitor the shipwreck’s rate of decay.
Which Parts Of The Titanic Can You Explore?
Once the tourists are squeezed with the pilot into a small submarine less than seven feet wide, the expedition can begin. Once the submarine is on-site, expedition members spend around three hours (sometimes longer) exploring different areas of the shipwreck.
The Titanic shipwreck’s noteworthy attractions include the bow section (the front part) and the ship’s iconic Grand Staircase. People describe feeling overwhelmed upon seeing the carcass of the evergreen ship.
How Long Do You Need To Get To The Titanic Shipwreck?
The trip to the Titanic’s grave takes about one and a half to two and half hours. It takes the same time to go up as it does to go down.
The submarines used for the expeditions can stay at the Titanic’s depth for several hours, so the total dive time is usually between eight and ten hours.
Can You Scuba Dive To The Titanic?
Getting access to the Titanic’s shipwreck is many people’s dream. Unfortunately, scuba divers have to sit on the sidelines as they can’t reach the depths of the Titanic’s resting place. For now, the only way to get down to the wreck is via submarines.
The Titanic sits at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean at a depth of twelve and half thousand feet, making it inaccessible to scuba diving. The deepest anyone has ever dived is one thousand one hundred feet, so it is not even close to reaching the titanic.
In addition, the external pressure is not fit for humans who are not protected by depressurized submarines; the water is below freezing, and there is no light. Lastly, you would run out of air or die from nitrogen narcosis long before reaching the Titanic’s grave.
Is The Titanic Wreck Decaying?
The Titanic is starting to vanish. The depths of the ocean are claiming the ship. Scientists are saying that the wreck is slowly getting consumed by metal-eating bacteria. These bacteria can consume huge amounts of iron a day.
On top of the bacteria creating holes and fissures in the hull, deep sea currents are also responsible for the Titanic’s decay. Holes now cover the Titanic’s remains. What is referred to as the crow’s nest is now gone, and the ship’s railing will likely collapse soon.
Scientists predict that the entire wreck could be gone in decades. Some even the Titanic vanishing by 2030, now a mere eight years away. The current expeditions aim to uncover more secrets surrounding the ship and learn about the underwater ecosystem that the Titanic spawn.
Where Did The Titanic Sink?
The Titanic departed for its first and last voyage in Southampton, England, on April 10, 1912. After docking in several European cities, the ship was meant to arrive in New York City after crossing the Atlantic.
The luxurious ship sank around four hundred nautical miles south of the Newfoundland Coast, Canada. The Titanic split into two parts as it sank: the bow and the stern. These two parts now lie at the bottom of the ocean, 1,970 feet apart from one another.
The bow remains the main attraction to marine biologists, archaeologists and anyone who gets the privilege of visiting this part of the ship’s final resting place.
How Long Did The Titanic Take To Sink?
Things started to wrong in the middle of the night at around 11:40 PM when the iceberg was spotted. At that time, the ship was about four hundred nautical miles off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. The iceberg collided with the ocean liner despite trying to maneuver around it.
About an hour after the impact, at 1:00 AM, water was spotted by the base of the iconic Grand Staircase. At around 2:00 AM, the ship’s propellers could be seen above water. By then, all lifeboats had been deployed, except for a handful of collapsible boats.
Eighteen minutes later (2:18 AM), the Titanic’s lights went out. The ship broke into two parts, with the front (the bow) disappearing into the water. This part of the ship probably took six minutes to reach the ocean floor. Two minutes after the break, the stern sank as well.
Who Owns The Titanic Wreck?
RMS Titanic Inc. became the Titanic’s salvor-in-possession, the only company permitted to collect artifacts from the wreck. To this day, RMS Titanic Inc. has collected over five thousand artifacts. Some of them, including a violin and a passenger’s letter, have been auctioned for millions of dollars.
The U.S. and U.K. have signed an agreement to put measures in place to protect the shipwreck. The countries are responsible for issuing permits that grant access to the wreck. Countries like Canada and France have been encouraged to join the agreement to protect the UNESCO cultural heritage site.
These agreements will hopefully prevent any further illegal activities around the Titanic’s grave and let the iconic ship rest in peace before its inevitable disappearance years from now.
